The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)

A Slapfight Among Friends

Previously: "You, Himself, and Her" 

"Euuugh, no!" You flinch and slap the metal band away from your face. "Find someone else to try it on!"

"There's no one else here!" Jamie protests.

"So go find someone else! Take it home with you and—"

"Whatsamatter?" Jamie grins. "Don't you want me finding out all about your gross, perverted fantasies?"

"Do you want me finding out all about yours?" you retort. "Let's make another one of those things, and we'll copy you, too!"

Jamie's grin widens through the slow blush that rises up his neck and into his face.

"Okay," he says. "I'll go find someone else to use it on. Oh, but shit! We gotta try it out with a mask, too!"

"How come?"

"Well, for funsies, for one thing!" He giggles. "But also, like—" He fumbles his hands in the air, as though trying to fashion a 3-D model of his thoughts. "We need to try out everything to find out where the trouble is, right? So, we'll try me out with just the doodad, and then try the doodad out with a mask again—"

"If it works without a mask, it'll work with a mask."

"Well, that's what we gotta find out, right? 'Cos it didn't with Mrs. Wymer's! Not with me, it didn't!"

"But we don't have another blank mask. Oh, fine," you sigh, for there's nothing else to do. "We'll make you up a new mask to go with the doodad. Who're you gonna try it on? Another MILF?"

"Maybe." A huge grin unfurls itself across Jamie's face.

* * * * *

So you make up another mask, and at Jamie's suggestion you also make up a second mask and a second metal strip. "As a backup," Jamie says. "You can take it in to school tomorrow too, so we can for sure have someone to try it out with." You grunt an affirmative, but don't commit any further. And though you polish up both masks before Jamie leaves for home (so he can take one with him) you don't work any further on the new metal band that night.

Jamie's a little ticked at you the next morning at school when you tell him that not only didn't you use the new things to score a copy of someone, you didn't even finish working on them. But he didn't get a copy of anyone either, even though (he confesses) he hung out that night with some of his friends. Then he suggests hanging out at the Warehouse (it's Friday), because there you should be able to score copies of people, but you put him off with what you think is a clever suggestion.

"Let's wait 'til we figure out how to get these full-body disguises working for you," you say, "then we'll go out there as other people and have fun in disguise." That's such a sensational idea that he squeals.

* * * * *

Horner doesn't bug you in third period, but you do get needled from an unexpected direction at lunch, which you take as usual out behind the school with Caleb and Keith. "So when are we gonna see you again?" Keith asks you with a carefully studied insolence.

"I dunno," you tell him. "Like, now? And now? And now and now and—?"

"You know what I mean," Keith says. "When it counts. Outside'a school. Fuck, I been havin' to hang out with Johansson."

You stop in mid-chew to look at Caleb, who seems to be ignoring you. "Are you two-timing me with Tilley?" you ask him.

Keith answers. "Johansson needs someone to hold his dick, and since you're not available lately—"

Caleb leaps to his feet with a curse and stalks off. You stare dumbly after him. "The fuck?" you ask Keith. "The fuck is going on with—?"

"Oh he's just mad he's not fittin' in with my other peeps," Keith says. His jaw is gummy with peanut butter and half-chewed bread. "I tol' 'im it don' matter, but—"

"What other peeps?" you demand. "Since when do you have peeps?"

Now it's Keith who stops in mid-chew. "My friends Mike and Carlos," he explains to you after carefully swallowing. "The guys I'm making YouTube videos with."

"What YouTube videos?"

"Oh, fuck you!"

"No, I'm serious, what YouTube—?"

"Their movie review channel!" he hollers. "For fuck's sake, man, I only told you about it a hundred times!"

"Well tell me again, the first hundred times didn't take."

"Fuck you! Where are you hanging out these days?" he peevishly demands. "'Cos you know, I got my YouTube peeps I can hang out with, but Johansson's—"

"Is Caleb mad at me?"

Keith stares at you, and he turns very red.

"You know what?" he says as he starts shoving his half-eaten lunch back into his paper bag. "I ain't mad at you, but once in a while it'd be nice if you worried that I was. Like the way all of a sudden you're worried that Johansson's worried about you!"

"Keith—!"

"Forget it, man. I'mma go tell Caleb that if my video peeps ain't gonna put him on camera, then fuck 'em, him an' me'll go start our own channel! Some'uns gotta show a little loyalty to their buds!" he growls as he stalks off.

* * * * *

So the upshot is that you spend the afternoon with Caleb at his house. He's gruff when you connect with him just before last period, but he acts like he's more embarrassed than angry with you. As for Keith, Caleb tells you that he told Tilley to go hang out with his "YouTube friends" because they do have a project to work on.

"It's Hollister and Montoya," he explains to you. "They've got a YouTube channel, they do movie reviews and stuff. Keith's helping them out. Because he's taking a film class, you know."

"I didn't know that!" you confess.

Caleb gives you a look. "I thought you were taking that class with him. Mr. Hawks?"

"No, I know that! I just didn't know he's helping out with a YouTube thing." You make a face. "I don't think he's mentioned it to me."

"He has, Will. You just weren't paying attention." Caleb swivels in his chair to wake up his laptop. "Keith tried to get me involved but, um—"

"Yeah?"

He makes a face as he types into his browser. "Well, I'm taking real classes, Prescott, so I don't know how to talk about movies!"

You wince with sympathy. "Well, I don't know how to talk about movies either," you tell him. "And I am taking a film class. It's how come I'm getting a C in there." Caleb gives you a look over his shoulder, then beckons you off his bed to watch the video he's pulled up.

It's nothing very special. Just three guys—Keith along with two guys you recognize from your English class, and other classes your junior year—sitting in a studio and talking about a movie. Mike and Carlos maybe talk a little more articulately about it than most people, but Keith doesn't say anything that he hasn't said when gabbling about movies that you've seen together.

"They're off seeing a movie now," Caleb says as the video plays. "New one that just started today." He sighs and slumps in his seat. "So what are you doing these days?" He turns to give you a hooded look.

"Oh, nothing special," you stammer.

"So not special that you haven't hung out with me or Keith since school started?"

"That's not true!"

"When was the last time we hung out together?"

"I'm not your girlfriend, man! I don't have to tell you what I'm—"

Caleb sits upright. "Is it a girl?" he asks.

"Is what a girl?" The question is like a punch to the jaw.

"Is that who you've been hanging out with, doing nothing special with?"

"No! I've just had some, you know, school projects." You can't keep the stammer from your voice.

Caleb looks skeptical. "Like the one with Rennerhoff?" The name dribbles off his tongue like a slimy ooze.

You give him a look. "Yes, as a matter of fact. He's not that bad," you insist, "when you get to know him. He just hangs out with a bad crowd is all."

"Like you."

"That's low, man. Low and obvious."

"So what's this project?"

"Look, let's do something tomorrow," you tell him. "You and me and Keith. You're right, I haven't been seeing enough of you guys."

Caleb looks unimpressed, but he shrugs.

* * * * *

You're woken the next morning—blissfully late—by a text from Caleb reminding you that you're supposed to meet him up at Don's Donuts, where Keith works. But as you're dressing, you get another text, this one from Jamie: Meet me scool asap!!!!!

Next: "When Friendships Collide" 

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 1)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)"